Soul Bearer
by codebreaker
Summary: Soulmates are a funny thing. Some people have only one. Others have multiple. Some have only platonic soulmates, others will have only romantic. Some will have many of both. But at the end of the day, it reinforces the idea of being together. Because at the end of the day, we only have each other.
1. Matters of the Heart

It was no secret that the four of them were each other's soulmates, and it would surprise absolutely nobody that the four of them were in a sort of relationship. Though they defined it loosely as such, there was never anything official. They had never really put a label on it, never came out and said it was a committed relationship of any kind. But they sure acted like it was exactly that. Whether it was cuddling on the couch, or being touchy with each other more than friends typically would be, anyone could tell that they were all close. More than that, they were comfortable with each other.

Saiya, Ryo, Fubuki, and Edo. They were an interesting combination, but it was never something anyone questioned. They were all each other's marked soulmates, and in their time knowing each other, they had developed an empathic bond with each other. An empathic bond was rare, but with someone as strong an empath as Saiya in their circle, it came as no surprise when the four developed empathic bonds with each other.

An empathic bond allows someone to immediately feel any emotions their soulmate (or soulmates, in some cases) is feeling at any given moment. It allowed them to be able to tune to each other and react accordingly. These were rare and often formed after a traumatizing event, but there are a few cases where they're triggered by intense emotions felt by all parties involved.

The four of them share a love for each other, both platonic and romantic in nature. It's hard to say where one starts and the other ends anymore.

Saiya and Ryo had known each other since they were kids. It was funny because they could never quite agree on how old they were when they met. Saiya would tell you they were about 4 or 5, Ryo would say they must have been about 6. Regardless, they're best friends, and more than that, they were soulmates. Saiya would tell you no one made her feel quite as safe and at home, as he did, there was no one else she knew who knew her as well. She trusted him with everything. They were like balances for each other. If she was the sun, he's the moon. Like night and day, and yet nothing without the other.

They'd later meet Fubuki at Duel Academy. Ryo would meet him first, upon finding out they were roommates, Saiya would meet him the day after when she helped him get out of trouble with some third years (they were only in their first year then, after all). The three would often find themselves getting into all sorts of weird situations, mostly because of Saiya and Fubuki. Ryo often tagged along (or got dragged into it). Saiya is absolutely in love with him, the same way she could say she loves Ryo. While she may be the boys' sun, her sun is Tenjoin Fubuki, the boy who always manages to brighten up her day. His hugs were warm, and she always found herself falling asleep in them. Her days with him are all laughter and smiles.

They wouldn't meet Edo until after Ryo and Saiya had graduated (Fubuki had to stay a year, seeing as he had disappeared for a while). It was in a tournament, the very one where Ryo first loses to him. Saiya would also go on to lose to Edo, but she admits it was only because she purposefully threw the duel (whether this was the truth or if she's saying that to protect her pride is hard to say for sure). The two are actually very similar, it would become a running joke between their respective duel monster spirits that they were properly each other's other halves. They butted heads often at first, but this would eventually evolve into them teasing each other, seeing just how sarcastic they can get with each other. There was an intensity they saw in each other, one that they would find could only be matched by themselves.

Nevertheless, they would eventually find out just how important they were to each other, and more than that, just how much of each other's presence they had taken for granted.

* * *

The whole squad was together again after a year and a half of being apart. Judai and the class of that year (plus Fubuki, who had to stay and make up the time he missed) had long since graduated. Ryo, much to the delight of the other three, had come back to them and now sat among them, too. Most of the day was spent happily enjoying each other's presence, catching up and exchanging stories. But it was that night when they had all settled down that they started to get a little emotional.

"Hey, Saiya, you good?" Fubuki asked, concerned about the girl who sat next to him, spaced out. She blinked a few times, bringing herself back to reality, before swatting at his hand waving in front of her face.

"Yeah, I'm fine, I was just thinking." Saiya huffed as he retracted his hand only to move to wrap his arm around her in a half hug. She could never complain about that though, she loved his hugs.

"Is that it? What are you thinking about?" It was an innocent question, but the answer was far from it. She went silent for a while before taking a deep breath. These were memories she wasn't sure she was ready to dig back up.

"You remember when we got caught up in the other dimension? Ya know, the whole thing where we went off to go find Johan?" The room went silent after, the mood suddenly heavier, sadder. "I was just thinking about that."

For a while after that, no one said anything. But Judai would be the first to break the silence.

"Yeah. I think that was the only time I've ever seen you cry that hard. Or that much, really. Or at all, actually." Saiya nearly laughed, if only dryly.

"I don't think anyone ever really filled me in on what happened after we poofed, by the way." Fubuki said, being a little teasing in an attempt to lift the mood a little. It half worked.

"Ah, well. Most of us took off after that. Went off to do our own things, I guess. Judai got caught up being evil for a bit. I wandered around for a while, feeling more lost than I've ever been until I ran into Ryo and Edo." Saiya had started, but she trailed off. These were memories she'd rather to have forgotten. She had never spoken them out loud before though, and she knew talking about it would probably make her feel better about it.

"Yeah, I remember finding you. Should've seen it, she had this scary determined look on." Edo commented, pausing for a while. His gaze landed on Saiya, who looked more tired than she had all day. "Anyway, we all slowly made our way around, looking for each other. We did what we could to help."

"Edo even stayed behind so the rest of us could get out of the way of an attack. And a collapsing cave." Sho noted from his spot by the window. He was one of the few who had many platonic soulmates, and no romantic ones.

"Remember clinging to Ryo pretty closely after that. After all that, he was the only one of the three of you I had left, think I was pretty terrified of losing him too. But even then, it didn't really last, did it?" She took a deep breath, a little shakey. Composing herself, she continued, "I know Judai was saying that as a joke, but honestly I don't think I had cried that hard in a long time. In fact, I think that might have the hardest I've cried in my entire life."

The room went silent again before Johan spoke up from his spot next to Judai.

"Yeah, I remember seeing you after that. We got a good bonding moment out of the aftermath of that, at least." His comment had brought out a smile, albeit a small one.

She glanced around, her gaze sweeping over each of her friends, then over the boys. Fubuki, seated next to her with his arm around her. Edo, who was seated on the couch behind her (she and Fubuki were on the floor). And Ryo, who was laying down, taking up the rest of the couch. That was a traumatizing experience for anyone who went through it. But they'll get past it, they'll heal from it. They have each other again.

They'll always find their way back to each other. Every time.

* * *

**AUTHOR'S NOTE:**

**Ok, hi. I'm back! So this fic is an au of Sanctuary. Sorta.**

**Sanctuary follows canon, and has a more specific plot regarding that. This fic is au to that. In fact, it is a soulmate au. Whaddaya know. **

**This one is sort of a crossover, but not enough to label it as such. At this point, it utilizes synchro mechanics from 5D's. **

**I haven't fully figured out the plot for either this or Sanctuary yet, so bear with me while I work around this. Also, I won't lie, I'm not too happy with this first chapter but what can ya do? The plot actually picks up the next chapter.**

**Until next time!**


	2. Empathic

**November 10th, 12:00 P.M (Domino City)**

Saiya was the last one to wake up that day. She woke up to the sounds of quiet music and the clatter of pots and pans in the kitchen. The sunlight promised a relatively warm day, despite the snow on the ground from the previous night.

It took five minutes before she could get herself out of bed. Her feet made contact with the cold floor, sending shivers up and down her body. It only served to remind her they needed to get a rug or something, or maybe she needed to invest in a pair of slippers. A trip to the bathroom and several minutes later, she'd find herself slowly making her way down the stairs and into the kitchen. The kitchen was livelier than it had ever been. Having all four of them at home at the same time was a miracle these days, let alone having all of them in the same room.

She smiled, softly and half awake, as her eyes traveled around the room. Ryo and Edo were seated at the table, Fubuki hovered over the stove making what she could only assume were pancakes. It had surprised her how good a chef he was, but she never complained. None of them did.

"G'morning, Saiya. How'd you sleep?" Fubuki greeted upon spotting her in the entranceway to the kitchen. His tone was as cheerful as the smile he wore, one that she half-heartedly returned.

"Well enough, I guess." She slipped into the chair across from Edo and next to Ryo. "Smells good, though I guess it always does."

He only grinned at her as he placed a plate in front of her, then a cup. Coffee, she quickly deducted. She watched him as he turned to clean up the kitchen. She quietly started eating, listening in on the conversation Ryo and Edo had been engaged in. Something about his schedules over the next couple of weeks. It wasn't long before she felt a kick under the table, from Edo she had guessed from the look he had given her.

"Are we gonna see each other in the arena sometime soon, princess?" She gave him a look as soon as she spotted his trademark smirk. A moment passed, as she slowly chewed, trying to recall what her own schedule looked like over the next month.

"Maybe, I'm not sure yet. Gotta get back to Vera about that." She paused before glaring at him, kicking him for emphasis more than anything "And don't call me that."

Fubuki snickered as he took the remaining seat, but that wasn't what annoyed her. Edo didn't drop his smirk. She heaved a sigh as he leaned back in his seat.

"Ah, but you would miss it too much if I stopped, would you not?" She could only glare at him harder. Typically, her glare would make most people run the other way. But it never worked on the three boys seated at the table around her. Of course, even she would admit that Ryo's glare was likely scarier than her own, but she wasn't about to say that here. It wouldn't make sense to, this wasn't about him.

"You are _insufferable_, Edo Pheonix. I am half tempted to throw you out the window right now." She threatened though it was half-hearted, she had only been awake for no more than an hour. He laughed, though she caught Fubuki and even Ryo trying to hold back laughter of their own. She caught herself smiling along, felt laughter bubbling in her chest but it never escaped her lips.

"You could never, you're no taller than 5"3." His teasing only earned her glare again, though it was not half as intense as it was earlier. "Besides, I'm not about to let you do that without taking you with me."

"Pft, I'm still stronger than you, I'm sure. I can take you, easy." Her tone held a challenge, a prideful attempt at a comeback. It was not very effective, given her pout. Ryo nudged her with his foot, deciding it would be a good idea to stop the two short of fighting it out over the kitchen table.

"I need to head out today, would you like to join me?" She turned her gaze towards him, about to argue. He stopped her short. "If I recall, there are a few errands we need to run, as well as getting groceries. And I'm not about to take Fubuki or Edo with me, neither of them are very helpful in that regard."

"You just don't wanna leave me alone with Edo. What, are you afraid we might actually fistfight in some back-alley?" She giggled through that response, which also earned a couple of snickers from the other two boys. Ryo rolled his eyes at her.

"That too. I also just wanted an excuse to spend time with you. Any more time with these two might drive me insane." Now, this earned full laughter from the Lightsworn user.

"I'm hurt, Ryo. I thought you enjoyed my company." Fubuki feigned offense, in a theatrical way only he could pull off. This did not help Saiya's situation, he was starting to worry she might fall out of her chair if she kept up. He shook his head, a soft smile directed towards the other.

"I can only enjoy so much of your company at a time." It was Fubuki's turn to pout now, but he didn't argue. However, upon glancing over to Edo, he did have one question for Ryo. But, without missing a beat, Saiya had beat him to it.

"Yeah, but you don't spend much time with Edo either, why aren't you picking on him?" Saiya asked. For a few moments, there was no response to the question. Nothing but silence.

"Tch, I can't win with you, can I?" Saiya grinned at him, gesturing around the room. Leaning back in her chair, she looked triumphant, as if she had won a challenge only she knew about. That occurred with her a lot, unspoken challenges that only she would know about.

"Don't feel too bad about it, my dear Kaiser. It's not like anyone here can, anyway."

And despite knowing that's not entirely true, no one argued.

* * *

**November 10th, 9:35 P.M (Somewhere in America)**

Johan has always wondered how he ended up with a soulmate like Manjome Jun. Manjome was so very opinionated and very vocal about it. He was all confidence, with many of the skills to match. Though his dueling track record may not be the best, he sure acted the part. But there was something else Johan had noticed about him, the way he never let the opinions of strangers affected him. And he admired that about him. His way of never letting anyone get to him but Johan knew that if he liked you enough, that if Manjome Thunder had cared about you enough, he'd take anything you said to him to heart.

And he loved him for it.

Judai, on the other hand, was a bit of a mystery to him still. Everyone had always compared the two, always saying how similar they were. At first, it was true. When he first met Judai, he could easily pick out pieces of himself in the other boy. But after fusing with Yubel, and the events in the other dimension, he was so much harder to read. The fact that none of them shared an empathic bond didn't help the situation at all.

So here they all were, which Johan thanked whichever higher power that allowed Yuki Judai to grace them with his presence, discussing recent events. Recent events meaning wherever the hell Judai kept disappearing off to.

Now, his disappearances in itself were never all too concerning. He always came back to them, alive and in one piece. But this time, whatever he had encountered had really rattled him. The pair (being Johan and Manjome) had noticed the shift in his state long before he set foot in the cramped apartment they all shared. Judai sat on the couch, a blanket around his shoulders, and a far off look in his eyes. Johan hadn't left his side, leaving Manjome to begrudgingly go back and forth between the kitchen and the living room.

Not a word had been spoken in the few hours they had been seated there. That silence wasn't the most concerning thing. Johan could feel it, and he knew Manjome could too. He could tell by the look in his eyes, he could tell by the way he kept glancing at Judai as he was leaving the room. It wasn't that Judai looked terrified. It wasn't the silence that lasted much too long.

It was more than that. It felt so off, it was so glaringly obvious. He was surprised it had taken so long to notice it, but when he did, it was like getting hit by a semi-truck.

It was Yubel's presence. Or rather, their lack of presence.

Something had happened while they were gone. There was this sinking feeling in Johan's gut that had only grown since Judai showed up at home, with that same distant look that hadn't gone away. The look he shared with Manjome had only confirmed it. They were thinking the same thing as they all sat in each other's presence, the silence louder than anything they've ever experienced.

They were about to be dragged into another dimensional adventure, this one bigger than their last. It certainly did not help when Judai finally spoke up, when he spoke it into existence. His voice sounded smaller than Johan could ever remember it sounding.

"We need to find the others."

* * *

**November 13th, 10:45 P.M (Domino City)**

The phone call had been short, and it ended as quickly as it had started. Saiya waited. And waited some more.

Then the doorbell rang. But she was already on her feet, darting towards the door. Once open, she was greeted by Johan and Judai, Manjome trailing behind them. Their grim expressions only served to freak her out, more than she already had been. Saiya sidestepped to allow them entry then swiftly shut the door behind them. They remained silent as they all slowly settled in.

"So where are they?" Judai asked, voice barely above a whisper. Saiya hesitated to answer, but when she did, her voice was soft and melodic.

"Edo's out of the country for a bit, some meeting he had to go along with a tournament thing. Pro obligations, he said couldn't cancel it this time, otherwise, he'd be here." She paused for a brief second staring over her shoulder towards the front door. "Fubuki took Ryo to see the doctor a while ago, check-up stuff. They left about two hours ago, so they should be back within the hour."

He nodded slowly, seemingly staring at her. His unblinking stare would be much more unnerving if she didn't know that he wasn't actually staring at her. He was staring past her. At what, she wasn't sure. She turned to the other two boys. Johan looked as concerned as she felt but he put on a smile when he caught her looking. Manjome, on the other hand, looked mildly irritated but she chalked that up to him being himself.

"We have one spare bedroom, but I'm sure if the others don't mind rooming up, we can make it two." With that, Judai suddenly seem to be more himself than he had in the last few days.

"Four bedrooms, huh? Man, maybe we should crash here more often." Johan laughed, bright and cheerful. Saiya caught Manjome rolling his eyes, before turning to stalk off into the kitchen.

"Feel free to stay over as often as you like if that sounds good to you." She eyed him a bit. Saiya knew him, likely not as well as she wished she did, but well enough to know that he was trying to put on a mask. He had told her once that he wanted to avoid pushing everyone away again. She could only hope he stayed true to those words.

"Four rooms and yet, you still have a spare?" Johan asked, eyebrow raised. It was an innocent question at best, though she wouldn't put it past any of the boys to suggest otherwise.

"Yeah, I like sharing. Usually with Ryo. I've had a hard time falling asleep on my own for a while now." As if on cue, the front door opened, Fubuki's voice filling the house as he continued joking about something or other. Ryo, being ever the listener, didn't say a word as Fubuki indulged in his grand story that he likely made up on the way home. Upon seeing her, his arms swung and the next thing she knew, she was in his embrace.

"Ah, I'm sure our little star would agree with me," He glanced at her, a mischievous glint in his eyes as he addressed her, "right? Please say yes."

She stared at him, though she smiled at his antics.

"Seeing as I have no fuckin' clue what you're talking about, I can't be inclined to answer that question. Besides, we have guests if you haven't noticed, perhaps you should greet them." She reprimanded, sidestepping out of his arms. Fubuki was not reserved, not in the least as he greeted the three boys with hugs and all. Ryo, on the other hand, was much quieter in his greetings. A nod in greeting was more or less enough from the Kaiser himself. "Well, this is all of us for now. Edo's not back until sometime next week, though I guess we can just call if it's really urgent. Asuka is still out in America, her schedule isn't going to let her come out and see us. Sho should be here sometime tomorrow."

Soon enough, sleeping arrangements were made. Ryo and Saiya would room together as they always have, and Edo would have to share with Fubuki when he got back (which Saiya had immediately deduced Edo would complain endlessly about it, but she knew he would never mind it). Manjome took a room to himself, while Johan and Judai shared.

Well, Johan and Judai sharing a room was after Johan's insisting. While Manjome said he wasn't complaining, Saiya caught the look in his eyes. The feeling of being left out, though it only lasted a brief second. Gone as fast as it was there, she almost questioned if that's what she saw at all. She internally sighed, deciding against confronting him about it. It was the struggles of being a trio, after all.

Just as they were getting ready to split off for the night, Judai approached her. His usual warm energy gone, and in its place was one she could only describe as subdued. A little colder, a little lonelier. She could only guess it was because of Yubel's absence, and she could tell that the presence of his two remaining marked soulmates was all that was keeping him together.

"Can you help me with something?" He had asked in a hushed whisper as if he was afraid someone would be listening in on their conversation.

"With what?" She hissed, keeping her volume at about the same level. She couldn't understand why he was being so . . . so _secretive_. He stared at her for a second before glancing over his shoulder. Saiya didn't miss the look of fear in his eyes, as if the lamp sitting on the side-table could jump out and attack him.

"I know you have a connection with duel spirits. Like I do. Like Johan and Manjome, like many of us do. But I also know yours' runs deeper than any of ours. I was wondering if you can like-" He tried to emphasize whatever point he was trying to make with vague gestures. "ya know."

It clicked quite easily, actually. It took seconds for Saiya to piece together what he had just asked of her, between what Johan explained over the brief phone call and whatever Judai had just attempted to ask, along with the fact the absence of Yubel's presence within Judai. She was smart enough to figure it out.

"Are . . . are you trying to ask me to ask the Lightsworn-?" She paused, looking past Judai for a second, looking a little distant herself before focusing her full attention back on him. "What happened while you were gone?"

"Uh-, I'll explain in the morning. Just see if the Lightsworn-, or anyone really, just ask around to see if they've seen Yubel around." He suddenly looked desperate, near tears desperate. "_Please_."

"Fine. But I can't make any promises that I'll find anything."

Little did they all know, this wild goose chase would take them on a journey far more dangerous than anything they had ever encountered.

* * *

**AUTHOR'S NOTE:**

Yes, I switched over to using the Japanese/subbed names. Yes, that resulted in me switching Roxy's name to Saiya.

Is that confusing? A little. It's fine though. It doesn't really change much else though.

(I promise soulmate bonds and stuff will become important. Soon, I swear)

**EDIT (as of November 12th, 11:22 PM):** Missed some name switching first time around. Should be more consistent now.


	3. Soul Search

**November 14th, 7:15 A.M (Domino City)**

Saiya was the second person to wake up that morning. Fubuki had long made a habit of waking up at no later than eight in the morning, something she could never quite understand. He glanced up at her from his spot at the kitchen table and smiled softly, all his usual energy subdued in the early hours of the morning.

"You're up unusually early." He remarked quietly as she sat down across from him. She yawned in response, her voice still full of sleep.

"Could barely sleep. I was afraid I'd keep Ryo up with me." She leaned forward, nearly laying on the table. Fubuki didn't miss the way she could have fallen asleep right there had he not been there for her to focus on.

"What kept you up?" He wasn't expecting a complicated response this early in the morning from her, without her morning coffee yet no less. She remained silent for a moment, another yawn escaping her lips as she sat up, rubbing at her eyes.

"Judai asked me to do something for him last night. Trying to communicate like that took ages."

Fubuki could only stare at her in response. The expression he wore was one full of concern, she didn't need to see it either. She could feel his worry from her spot. She didn't have nearly enough energy, nor was she awake enough to reassure him very much.

"What'd he want help with?" Another silence filled the air. Fubuki decided to take this time to get up and start making breakfast, starting with coffee.

"Looking for Yubel. They couldn't tell me much. Celestia and Michael weren't there though, Jain said something about routine patrols." She watched him methodically move around the kitchen, grabbing stuff from various drawers and cupboards.

"What do you think happened while they were gone? Yubel's missing, Judai seemed hesitant on saying anything about it."

Saiya shrugged, looking defeated.

"I dunno, the pieces haven't started to come together yet. Ryko mentioned Lyla felt something was shifting, but I didn't get around to talking to her to find out what." She rubbed at her temples, groaning in frustration. "Judai's been back no more than four days and he's already giving me headaches."

"You love him though."

"I do."

A moment of silence passed. They could hear movement from upstairs, indicating someone had woken up.

"You love me more though, right?"

Footsteps made their way down the stairs.

"Always, Fubuki. Always."

* * *

**November 14th, 2:30 P.M (Somewhere in Europe)**

Edo walked off the stage and down a brightly lit corridor, the dramatically lit lights of the arena behind him. Winning that tournament was too easy.

Upon entering his waiting room to pick up his stuff to leave, he caught sight of Plasma in the mirror, standing behind the door.

"Ya know, if I weren't used to your antics, I _might_ have been a little scared." That was met with silence, but it was broken with Plasma's voice. It echoed and bounced, it held a reverb that Edo now came to associate with the Hero.

'_You seem distracted more than usual._' It was a statement, a statement that held a question they both knew the answer to.

"Do I?" He muttered as he checked his phone. There were at least five unread messages, most were from the group chat. The group chat was made after graduation, a decision made by Asuka, Fubuki, and Sho. It was much more chaotic when it was first made. Nowadays, it's mostly used for updates and memes, with a bit of existential crisis in between. While it was an easy way to keep tabs on each other, updates always came slow.

The conversation had ended there, no other words to be said as Edo grabbed everything he needed and made his way out of the building.

"Something on your mind?" His eyes flickered to Reina, his manager.

"I always have something on my mind." He knew she'd pester him for answers, but he wouldn't elaborate any further on just what he had meant. A habit she had long grown used to.

The entire way to the hotel, then to the airport, every thought could be traced back to one thing. Back to one person, and all they did was send one message.

_'I think I know a way back to the Dark World.'_

They were going to jump dimensions again, headfirst back into something they may not come back from.

* * *

**November 14th, 4:50 P.M (Back in Domino City)**

The day dragged by, and they didn't get much in the way of answers from Judai.

Saiya remembered getting a phone call from Edo that afternoon, and though the conversation was rushed, he had revealed he had been able to cut the trip a little short. He'd be back earlier in a few days, assuming he left immediately after the tournament was over. She was delighted only in the fact he'd be back sooner.

Johan had approached her after, asking her about Kenzan, O'Brien, and Jim. She recalled that the three of them were currently in Australia together for some sort of business thing, though she couldn't exactly say how serious that business was, considering who was involved. He also asked if Judai said anything to the other but the conversation was cut short when the doorbell rang.

"Sho's here!" Saiya announced once she let him in. He didn't say anything about it, which she could only assume meant he was used to all their antics by now and knew better than to complain. Judai poked his head into the hall from the kitchen, his greeting muffled by the chocolate bar hanging from his mouth.

The rest of the day didn't go by much faster and they didn't learn much more than they knew. They filled Sho in on the few details they had.

Saiya stared at the time on her phone, 5 pm stared back at her.

'_Just thought I'd check in._' Celestia's voice drew her eyes upwards. The angel stood in the center of the room, wings folded, one hand on her hip. Her scepter (Saiya was never quite sure what it was called) appeared to be missing today but she supposed it wasn't needed.

"Hm, is this a check in on me or-?" The look the angel gave her was enough to answer. "He's. . ."

As if on cue, Judai and Manjome entered the room, one after the other. Saiya and Manjome caught each other staring, and for a while, that was all they did.

'_Well, it appears you're all getting along. I'd like to pass on a message from Lyla._' Celestia gave them no time to respond. '_There's been a few interesting shifts in energy, particularly in the Dark World. According to Lyla, the power's been shifted but we haven't been able to confirm who it's been shifted to._'

"And what does that have to do with us?" Manjome asked, and for a few moments held Celestia's gaze. He looked away after about ten seconds. Saiya made a note to congratulate him later. She could barely hold eye contact with the angel for more than five seconds.

'_It may have everything to do with you. Each realm, each dimension runs differently. Power balances and politics. Unlike how us Lightsworns rule and protect the Realm of Light, the Dark World rules under a single leader._'

"What does that mean?" Celestia and Saiya shared a look, and it was all she needed to understand.

"It means the Dark World has a new ruler, and it means we have a target on our back."

* * *

**AUTHOR'S NOTE:**

**I am taking many, MANY liberties with how the pro scene works. And with the dynamics of each dimension.**

**Basically everything. **


End file.
